


Where is my mind?

by FreeShavocadoo



Series: Demon deals AU [12]
Category: HiGH&LOW (Movies), HiGH&LOW: the Story of S.W.O.R.D. (TV)
Genre: M/M, Multi, Revelations, and the plot thickens, not really - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-03-08 00:17:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18884248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreeShavocadoo/pseuds/FreeShavocadoo
Summary: Jesse struggles with adjusting to his new situation, making a surprise acquaintance. Iemura and Nikaido put their cards out on the table, with irreversible consequences in the making. Hyuga and Kato plot their next move, whilst across the SWORD region, Lee, Ryu and Ice consider their available options.





	Where is my mind?

It’s been months. It feels more like years, the separation anxiety and aching in his bones following him around the same way his constant feeling of impending danger always did. Sun Kings was marginally different from Rasen, though both operated on mindless violence and despair. The men in here didn’t seem to look much better than Jesse did, all worn around the edges with dark circles around their eyes and slumped shoulders. He wonders, briefly, if he’s not the only one in here who’s been possessed. The only one who’s felt the choke of black smoke entering his body, the ache and pain of it moving against his own wishes, seeing out of his own eyes but not being able to look where he’d wanted to.

Perhaps they’ll all be moving on soon, only a few months remaining before they would all be out of Rasen and back elsewhere causing trouble. It was funny to think about, in a way, that this group of people who hadn’t known of each other’s existence moving out into the world, now irreversibly bonded and tied together by their time in prison. He wonders if they miss him that much, if Brown is sat there like a nervous bundle of energy attempting to figure out Jesse’s dilemma with the others, always the one to lead group discussions. Is Nakamon still trying to speak to one of the guards to get more information? Is Pho trying to get Ice in for visitation with him now that Jesse has been moved, and does Ice even know about it?

His head has been swimming, as if he’s drowning in a body that is no longer his own for quite some time.

The shock of being manhandled into a truck, chained like some kind of wild animal and dragged out in the early morning. He hadn’t even gotten an explanation, or a chance to say goodbye. He does recall the only other person in the back of the van, however.

 

_The prison guards slam the doors half shut, leaving the van shrouded in darkness. He attempts to keep the rising panic in his gut down to a minimum, but he can feel it creeping up his throat when he looks down at the chains binding his feet and hands. He was already paranoid enough, and this situation springing out of the blue didn’t help him whatsoever._

_“Hm,” the voice snaps him from his thoughts, his fists clenching in anticipation, “I take it you’re going out rather than in, then?”_

_Jesse eyes the man suspiciously. He’s not very large in stature or intimidating. His eyes are dark, ringed in circles much like Jesse’s own, with a rather enigmatic smile on his face, difficult to distinguish as bemused or resigned. He gives Jesse a nod. “Ranmaru.”_

_The bizarre nature of the interaction is offset by his rather peculiar circumstances, as of late. “Jesse.”_

_“I think I’m leaving.” Jesse shrugs, still uncertain of his circumstances, with the uncertainty only increasing the longer he’s left in the back of the van. He feels vulnerable. “You?”_

_“Ah, I’m going in.” Ranmaru says, as though they’re discussing the weather and not incarceration._

_“For anything in particular?” Jesse inquires, certain it’ll be something violent just from seeing the look in Ranmaru’s eyes. He’s littered in bruises and cuts, like every inch of him was caught up in whatever he’d involved himself in._

_“Pissed off some people I shouldn’t have pissed off,” he stares into the distance, at nothing in particular, “you know how it goes. It’s like you’ve lost control of yourself.”_

_“Yeah.” Jesse laughs, an ironic and rather dry laugh. “Yeah, I know how that is.”_

He’d been fighting for so long now, a few more months wouldn’t kill him, that much was certain. But the uncertainty lay in what exactly would happen afterwards, where he lay in the plan he’d been so callously embroiled in, left with no recollection and only questions.

The lingering thought that it’s not only him that is currently feeling this way, locked up for something he hadn’t done, only furthers the anxiety.

He wishes he wasn’t facing this alone.

 

* * *

 

 

He’s managed to be patient for so long that it is second nature, by this point, to be content with waiting for everything to fall into his lap. Sometimes it took hard work and sometimes, a small action could spread like wildfire, a domino effect that lead him to exactly what he’d always wanted.

A cure.

Tatsumi Iemura was hardly conventional, by Kuryu’s standards, owing to his demonic status and willingness to work with them. It was a well-known fact that angels were hardly below using others to reach their desired goals, ironically, in a way much similar to demonic possession. Without regard for autonomy, safety, collateral damage. When Hyuga Norihisa had decided to enact his plan to enable Kato to live a human life, the domino effect had landed the information right into Iemura’s lap. It had only taken a small bribe, a loose mouth in Daruma and common sense. Only time would let Iemura know exactly how he’d done it, after all, that was hardly common knowledge. The Hyuga family had paid dearly for their knowledge and movement against Kuryu, as had Mugen.

One domino will fall, and all of the others follow. Sword was a ticking time bomb.

“You’ve been busy.” Nikaido sits before him, sophisticated and put-together. “Care to explain what exactly you’ve been up to?”

They’d always had an odd dynamic. In terms of age, they were both rather matched. For Iemura’s shrewdness, Nikaido was similarly intellectually inclined, though far more prone to violent outbursts. His pride was his vice, notorious for his disregard of others, something Iemura found equal parts amusing and dangerous. For all of his pride, however, Nikaido was no fool. He had eyes and ears everywhere and Iemura wouldn’t be surprised if he knew exactly what he was up to, but in classic Nikaido fashion, wanted Iemura to admit it to his face.

_Two can play at that game._

“Are we going to pretend like you haven’t had Kirinji following me for months?” Iemura inquires, looking over his cup of tea at Nikaido. “I do have to question your integrity when you use _him_ in such situations.”

“Of course we aren’t going to _pretend_ , Iemura-san,” he watches Iemura like a hawk, his dark eyes verging more on the demonic than angelic side, always the perfect juxtaposition, “but let us not pretend like you haven’t been following your own agenda for months.”

“And you haven’t been following your own?” Iemura places the cup down gently, regarding Nikaido with bemusement. “Your Red Rum factory seems to be borne of personal desire, no?”

“It is a business venture for Kuryu.” He replies simply, looking vaguely irritated. Always a slight crack in the façade.

“No, Nikaido, it isn’t.” Iemura shakes his head, ignoring the affronted stare he gets in return. “You returned to the very place you found your vessel from, and now they know. You dispose of Ranmaru, saying he draws unnecessary attention, that much is true. But what of _you_ and the attention you’ve attracted? Curing the boy of his illness was a mistake.”

“It’s hardly unnecessary attention.” Nikaido’s jaw is stiff, his eyes starting to swirl with wisps of white, clouding until his eyes are almost entirely the colour of fresh snow. “One of the Rudeboys is attached to the vessel.”

“And you entertain him out of your own curiosity.” Iemura stands, buttoning his jacket and fixing his tie, giving Nikaido a scathing stare. “I expected better from you.”

Nikaido stands too, tall and prouder than ever, chin in the air. “Rich, coming from the demon who wishes to make himself human. From one cesspit to another?”

Iemura laughs, eyes flickering to Nikaido. “You still don’t realise, yet, do you?”

“Realise what?” Nikaido’s head tilts, curious.

“We’re not going to win this war,” Iemura walks to the door, turning to look at Nikaido, “we were never meant to. Angels, demons, it doesn’t matter. Humans will be the undoing of us all.”

 

* * *

 

 

“So, what exactly do we do now?”

His voice rings across the room, the dead of night bringing an eerie silence to a place usually bustling with movement, chatter and excessive noise. Daruma were hardly a low-key group, always revelling in the unpredictable and borderline criminally insane. Hyuga stretches languidly, lying on the floor and smoking without a care in the world. It’d been weeks since Kato had woken up from his cleansing, and he’d been adjusting ever since.

His senses didn’t seem dulled, necessarily, but things weren’t as razor-sharp as they had been before. His teeth were still abnormally sharp, much to Hyuga’s amusement, and he still had impeccable reflexes, yet, there was no weight being dragged alongside him anymore. The same melancholy that plagued him whenever he was awake or asleep didn’t imbue his every thought and dream, and he had Hyuga to thank for that.

“I don’t fucking know.” Hyuga puffs out smoke, giving Kato a mildly irritated look. “Did you have something in mind?”

“I dunno. Just assumed that you had something planned with Kuryu.” Kato shrugs, stretching and still being amused by the way it cracked as he did, sighing contentedly.

“I do.” Hyuga stares at Kato, beckoning him with his hand, Kato shuffling over slowly and sitting beside Hyuga, who places his head on Kato’s lap comfortably.

“Are you gonna just be fuckin’ ambiguous, or are you gonna tell me?” Kato huffs, fingers laced in Hyuga’s tangled hair, petting gently and slowly. It always made Hyuga more pliant and sleepier.

“Sword.” He says, simply, as though that explains everything. Always enigmatic; never simple. “If they’re after sword, then we should probably start there, too.”

“You know that they’re gonna see you approaching them as an invitation for war, right?” Kato stops running his fingers through Hyuga’s hair, for a moment, pondering. It’s only when Hyuga huffs loudly that he continues with a small smile.

“Let them, they’ll be thanking me later.”

 

* * *

 

 

“It’s time to make a move, Ice.” Lee curls one of his fingers in Ice’s hair, tickling near the nape of his neck when Ice tries to swat his hand away. “Most of the pieces are on the board now.”

“I’m not so sure about that.” Ryu bites his lip, eyebrows furrowed, his face scrunched in worry. It’s oddly endearing.

“Oh?” Lee stares at Ryu with bemusement, tilting his head and grinning devilishly. “Why is that?”

“We don’t even know the full extent of what is happening around sword right now.” Ice nods thoughtfully, as though fully considering all of his options.

“That’s exactly why we need to move,” Lee runs his fingers through his platinum hair, his eyes swimming with yellow momentarily, “because we can’t afford to wait until we have all of the available facts. It might be too late by then.”

Ice nuzzles near his neck, humming in agreement. “What do you suggest then?”

Perhaps Lee revels in the way Ryu also stares with curiosity, his interest evident in the way he eyes up Lee, up and down. There’s still an odd tension there, one Lee doesn’t doubt will remain for some time, but they do have mutual interests and that makes them both accountable for Ice’s safety.

“It’s simple. First, we get your friends back.” Lee stares at Ice, smiling fondly. “You’ve missed them anyway. Now is the time to get them all back in one place.”

“Okay.” Ice nods, “I can ring them now?”

“Good boy.” Lee kisses his head, patting his lower back gently when Ice moves towards his bedroom, phone in hand. He looks both excitable and nervous, clearly longing to have his family back around but apprehensive of what they’d think with everything that has changed since. Lee doesn’t doubt they’ll all rally around him, willing to help him in any way possible. That’s why they were so valuable.

“Then what?” Ryu’s voice is soft, contemplative. His face is still stoic, but it shows the nagging signs of concern. The ringed eyes, the tighter mouth and jaw. Lee, for once, doesn’t resist the urge to run a finger down his cheek and smile at him.

“Leave the next part to me, Ryu,” he kisses his cheek, biting near Ryu’s jaw and chuckling at the huff he gets as a response, “do you trust me?”

“I suppose I have to.” He sounds resigned, shaking his head and letting his hair fall into his eyes, looking adorably boyish.

“Correct, you do.” Lee picks up his jacket, moving towards the door. “I have to pay an old friend a visit in the hospital.”

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know if anyone is even still interested in reading this, my last update was in September (I apologise), but I'd love feedback if anyone does! I can't promise regular updates but I intend to finish off this series even if it kills me.  
> SHORT AND SWEET.


End file.
